Camera module and mobile terminal having the camera module

ABSTRACT

A camera module includes: a plurality of lenses; an image sensing component disposed on an imaging side of the plurality of lenses, and an area of a photosensitive region of the image sensing component is greater than an area of actual imaging region of a single lens and less than the sum of the area of actual imaging region of each of the lenses; and a plurality of optical switch components, disposed, between the plurality of lenses and the image sensing component, corresponding to the plurality of lenses, wherein the optical switch component is controlled to switch between an on state and an off state, and neighboring optical switch components corresponding to neighboring lenses whose actual imaging regions overlap each other are not turned on at the same time.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the priority to Chinese patentapplication number of 201910848993.0 filed on Sep. 9, 2019, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

In order to improve the captured picture quality or obtain diversifiedcapturing effects, current mobile terminals (such as mobile phones ortablet computers, etc.) are generally equipped with a plurality ofcameras, such as two, three, four or even a dozen cameras. In the cameramodules of these mobile terminals, a form of an image sensing component,such as a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor,and a lens, is employed. Generally, a mobile terminal may need as manysets of lenses and image sensing components as the number of cameras itpossesses, so that a user can select a variety of different cameras toachieve the desired capturing effect.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates generally to the technical field ofmobile terminals, and more specifically to a camera module, and a mobileterminal having the camera module.

The camera module and the mobile terminal having the camera moduleaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure caneffectively reduce the total space occupied by the camera, reduce costof the mobile terminal, and improve imaging quality.

According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure,there is provided a camera module, including:

a plurality of lenses;

an image sensing component, disposed on an imaging side of the pluralityof lenses, and an area of a photosensitive region of the image sensingcomponent being greater than an area of actual imaging region of asingle lens and less than the sum of the area of actual imaging regionof each of the lenses; and

a plurality of optical switch components, disposed, between theplurality of lenses and the image sensing component, corresponding tothe plurality of lenses;

wherein the optical switch component is controlled to switch between anon state and an off state, and neighboring optical switch componentscorresponding to neighboring lenses whose actual imaging regions overlapeach other are not turned on at the same time.

In some implementations of the present disclosure, the plurality oflenses are arranged linearly.

In some implementations of the present disclosure, the plurality oflenses are arranged in a matrix.

In some implementations of the present disclosure, the neighboringlenses are directly imaged onto the image sensing component, and theactual imaging regions of the neighboring lenses are overlapped witheach other.

In some implementations of the present disclosure, in an image capturingoperation, the plurality of optical switch components are controlled tobe turned on sequentially and successively so as to be imagedsequentially and successively on the image sensing component.

In some implementations of the present disclosure, in an image capturingoperation, the optical switch component corresponding to the lens withno overlap in the actual imaging region is controlled to be turned on soas to be imaged simultaneously on the image sensing component.

In some implementations of the present disclosure, the image sensingcomponent is one of a charge-coupled image sensor and a metal oxidesemiconductor image sensor.

In some implementations of the present disclosure, the optical switchcomponent is a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) shutter.

According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, a mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes:any one of the camera modules described above; and a processor thatcontrols the plurality of optical switch components to switch between anon state and an off state, and neighboring optical switch componentscorresponding to neighboring lenses whose actual imaging regions overlapeach other are not turned on at the same time.

In some implementations of the present disclosure, a front camera and/ora rear camera of the mobile terminal can be part of the camera module,or include the camera module.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this description, illustrate embodiments consistent with thedisclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the disclosure.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between a lensimaging and an image sensing component in a camera module according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of a photosensitive region of an imagesensing component of a camera module according to some embodiments.

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to anexample for comparison.

FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between lensimaging and an image sensing component in a camera module according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to anotherexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship betweena lens and an imaging plane in a camera module according to someembodiments.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to stillanother exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationshipbetween the lens and the imaging plane along the line I-I′ in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a positional relationship between alens and an imaging plane in a camera module according to still anotherexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a mobile terminal according to someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Description will now be made herein in detail to exemplary embodiments,examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Thefollowing description refers to the accompanying drawings in which thesame numbers in different drawings represent the same or similarelements unless otherwise represented. The implementations set forth inthe following description of exemplary embodiments do not represent allimplementations consistent with the disclosure. In contrast, they aremerely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspectsrelated to the disclosure as recited in the appended claims.

A plurality of camera modules may occupy a larger space in the body of amobile terminal. Moreover, due to cost considerations, the qualities ofthe image sensing components selected in different camera modules aredifferent, and usually only the main lens is equipped with ahigh-quality image sensing component, which results in that photo/videoquality of the mobile terminal has large variations.

In addition, in order to obtain a larger capturing angle, the mobileterminals usually need to separately add a set of ultra-wide-anglelenses and image sensing components. However, such a single set ofultra-wide-angle camera modules is usually difficult to achieve bothquality and cost. Moreover, since ultra-wide-angle lenses usually havewide-angle distortion, it is difficult to make the camera field of view(FOV) of a general mobile terminal very large to prevent the distortionat the edges from being too heavy and seriously affecting the imagingeffect.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to someembodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagramshowing a relationship between a lens imaging and an image sensingcomponent in a camera module according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of a photosensitiveregion of an image sensing component of a camera module according tosome embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the camera module 100 includes a plurality oflenses 120, an image sensing component 160, and a plurality of opticalswitch components 140. In FIG. 1A, the camera module 100 has four lenses120, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the numberof the lenses 120 may be two, three, or more. Each lens 120 has separatecomponents (not shown) such as a lens holder, a motor, an optical filterand so on; or all lenses 120 have common components (not shown) such asa lens holder, a motor, a filter and so on to reduce the distancebetween the lenses 120 and facilitate the simplified assembly andrelative positioning of the plurality of lenses.

In FIG. 1A, the plurality of lenses 120 are arranged in a matrix type,but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the plurality oflenses may also be arranged linearly (to be described below inconjunction with FIG. 3). This arrangement is beneficial to reduce thedistance between the lenses and facilitate the relative positioning ofthe plurality of lenses.

The image sensing component 160 is disposed on the imaging side of theplurality of lenses 120. The area of the photosensitive region A of theimage sensing component 160 is greater than the area of actual imagingregion of the single lens 120 and less than the sum of the areas ofactual imaging regions required by the respective lenses 120. Therefore,as shown in FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1C, the actual imaging regions C1and C1′ formed by imaging the adjacent or neighboring lenses 120 ontothe image sensing component 160 overlap each other (the overlappingportions being shown by diagonal shading in the figure) to save the areaof the photosensitive region of the image sensing component.

FIG. 1B illustrates the relationship between the lens imaging and theimage sensing component in detail. The circle C0 is the illuminationregion of a lens. The rectangle C1 is a photosensitive regioncorresponding to a lens 120 in the image sensing component 160, that is,the rectangle C1 is an actual imaging region of a lens. The area ofrectangle C1 is W0*L0. The circle C0′ is the illumination region of theadjacent lens, and the rectangle C1′ is the photosensitive regioncorresponding to the adjacent lens in the image sensing component 160,that is, the rectangle C1′ is the actual imaging region of the adjacentlens. The area of the rectangle C1′ is also W0*L0. In order to achievethe effect of saving the image sensing component, the actual imagingregion C1′ of the adjacent lens with the illumination region C0′ and theactual imaging region C1 of the adjacent lens with the illuminationregion C0 overlap each other (as shown by the diagonal shading in thefigure), the area of the overlapping region is W0*(2L0-L1), whereL1<2L0. That is, in the case that other conditions are the same, thearea of the photosensitive region of the image sensing component cansave at least the area W0*(2L0-L1), in the camera module with two lensesaccording to the present disclosure.

Based on the above description in conjunction with FIG. 1B, it can beunderstood that, as shown in FIG. 1C, the four lenses 120 correspondingto the matrix arrangement of FIG. 1A, both the two sides of the actualimaging region corresponding to each lens are overlapped with the actualimaging regions of the adjacent lenses from each other, respectively (asshown by the diagonal shading in the figure). That is, in the case thatthe other conditions are the same, the area of the photosensitive regionof the image sensing component can save at least the area W1*L1-W0*L0,in the camera module with four lens of the present disclosure as shownin FIG. 1A, where L1<2L0, W1<2W0, and W0, W1, L0, and L1 are allpositive numbers.

In these embodiments, there may not be provided, between the pluralityof lenses 120 and the image sensing component 160, an optical elementthat guides the light passing through the lens to reflect or refract,that is, the light of the lens 120 can be directly imaged onto the imagesensing component 160, and the actual imaging regions of the adjacentlenses 120 are allowed to overlap each other.

The image sensing component 160 can be a charge coupled device (CCD) ora complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. The sizeand shape of the image sensing component 160 can be designed andadjusted according to the number, type, and arrangement of the lenses sothat the area of the photosensitive region of the image sensingcomponent 160 is less than the sum of the areas of actual imagingregions required by each lens 120, and thus the actual imaging regionsformed by imaging the adjacent lenses 120 onto the image sensingcomponent 160 overlap each other (the overlapping portions being shownby diagonal shading in the figure), so as to save the area of thephotosensitive region of the image sensing component, and achieve theeffects of reducing the occupied space and saving the costs.

The plurality of optical switch components 140 are disposed between theplurality of lenses 120 and the image sensing component 160 and are inone-to-one correspondence with the plurality of lenses 120. Each opticalswitch component 140 is controlled to switch between an on state and anoff state, and the adjacent optical switch components corresponding tothe adjacent lenses whose actual imaging regions overlap each other arenot turned on at the same time.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the actual imaging regions of the four lenses 120arranged closely in a matrix are all overlapped, and when one of thefour lenses 120 is in the on state, the remaining optical switchcomponents are in the off state, so that only the lens corresponding tothe turned-on optical switch component is imaged on the photosensitiveregion of the image sensing component. Therefore, each lens can beequipped with a larger photosensitive area as much as possible in acommon image sensing component, thereby improving the imaging quality.

In the present disclosure, the optical switch component is an opticalphysical element capable of controlling whether or not the light passingthrough the lens is irradiated onto the image sensing component. Theoptical switch component 140 can be a controlled mechanical shutter,such as a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) shutter, which is turnedon and off after receiving a control signal from a processor (to bedescribed below in conjunction with FIG. 8) to control whether or notthe light passing through the lens 120 is illuminated onto the imagesensing component 160. The optical switch component 140 can also be anykind of physical shutter or optical shutter capable of receiving acontrol signal of the processor and controlling whether or not the lightpassing through the lens is irradiated onto the image sensing component.

In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure, since theplurality of lenses 120 and the image sensing component 160 are arrangedin the foregoing manner, the actual imaging region of each lens 120 onthe image sensing component 160 may overlap to some extent. If theselenses 120 are imaging at the same time, there may be a problem ofmutual interference between the images. For this reason, by adding anoptical switch component 140 to each lens 120, only the optical switchcomponent 140 of the lens 120 which is called and in the working stateis in the on state, and the optical switch components on the remaininglenses are all in the off state. Therefore, interference problems causedby overlapping of actual imaging regions of the plurality of lenses onthe same image sensing component can be avoided.

For the camera module 100 of the present disclosure, after assemblingthe plurality of lenses 120, the plurality of optical switch components140, and a single image sensing component 160, it is required to performthe calibrating and demarcating operations to determine that each lens120 can be imaged onto a predetermined actual imaging region on theimage sensing component 160, and corresponding debugging is performed.When the camera module 100 of the present disclosure is in use and it isdesired to call a lens 120, the corresponding optical switch component140 of the lens is turned on, and the corresponding photosensitiveregion on the image sensing component 160 is activated. In an imagecapturing operation by the user, a plurality of optical switchcomponents 140 can be controlled to be sequentially turned on, in orderto image on the image sensing component 160 sequentially andsuccessively. Alternatively, during an image capturing operation, a partof the plurality of optical switch components 140 (that is, the opticalswitch components corresponding to lenses with no overlap in the actualimaging region) is controlled to be turned on (it will be describedbelow in conjunction with FIG. 3), and imaged on the image sensingcomponent simultaneously.

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to anexample for comparison. FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram showing arelationship between a lens imaging and an image sensing component in acamera module according to some embodiments. As shown in FIGS. 2A and2B, the camera module 10 includes a plurality of lenses 12 and an imagesensing component 16 in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality oflenses 12. The plurality of lenses 12 are arranged loosely, and theactual imaging regions of the adjacent lenses 12 on the image sensingcomponent 16 do not overlap with each other. Each lens 12 and the imagesensing component 16 are controlled by the electronic optical switchcomponent to form relatively independent images without interferencesbetween the images. However, such a camera module 10 occupies a largerinternal space as a whole, thereby limiting the degree of freedom indesigning the back of the mobile terminal. In addition, the area of thephotosensitive region of the image sensing component (W*L, where W<W0,L<L0) is limited, and due to the cost considerations, the image sensingcomponent usually used in lenses other than the main camera is generallyweaker or far weaker than that of the main camera, which affects thefinal imaging quality.

It can be seen that, in the camera module of these embodiments, becausethe area of the photosensitive region of the image sensing component isgreater than the area of actual imaging region of a single lens and lessthan the sum of the areas of actual imaging regions of respectivelenses, that is, the actual imaging regions of part of the lenses canoverlap with each other, thereby allowing the lens arrangement moreclosely, occupying less internal space, and allowing the higher degreeof freedom in designing the back of the mobile terminals that use thecamera module. Secondly, the area of the photosensitive region of theimage sensing component shared by the plurality of lenses is less thanthe sum of the areas of actual imaging regions required by therespective lenses, thereby reducing the total photosensitive region ofthe image sensing component, not only saving the space occupied, butalso reducing the cost. In addition, each lens can be equipped with alarger photosensitive area (W0*L0>W*L) as much as possible in the commonimage sensing component, or a better image sensing component (forexample, with a lower signal-to-noise ratio) is selected for the commonimage sensing component to improve imaging quality.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to anotherexemplary embodiment. The difference from the embodiments shown in FIG.1A to FIG. 1C lies in that there are, in the camera module 200 of theembodiment shown in FIG. 3, three linearly arranged lenses 220, and thearea of the photosensitive area of the image sensing component 260 isgreater than the actual imaging region of a single lens 220 and lessthan the sum of the areas of actual imaging regions of the threelinearly arranged lenses 220. That is, in these embodiments, theintermediate lenses can overlap with the actual imaging regionscorresponding to the adjacent lenses on both sides. The total area ofthe photosensitive region of the image sensing component is W0*L2, whereL2<3L0. In the case that the other conditions are the same, as comparedwith the solution that one lens is equipped with one image sensingcomponent, the total area of the photosensitive regions of the imagesensing component in the camera module according to these embodimentscan save at least the area W0*(3L0-L2).

In an image capturing operation by the user, a plurality of opticalswitch components 220 can be controlled to be turned on sequentially andsuccessively to form images on the image sensing component 260sequentially and successively. Alternatively, in an image capturingoperation, a part of the plurality of optical switch components 220(that is, the optical switch components corresponding to the lenses withno overlap in the actual imaging regions, such as the optical switchcomponents corresponding to the two lenses at the left and right ends)is controlled to be turned on, and imaged on the image sensing component260 simultaneously.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship betweena lens and an imaging plane in a camera module according to someembodiments. The structural schematic diagram of the camera module shownin FIG. 4 can refer to FIG. 3 accordingly, in which a plurality oflenses in the camera module are arranged linearly.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the camera module, the optical axis X of eachlens H (e.g., 120, 220) is perpendicular to the plane P (that is, thephotosensitive plane) where the photosensitive region of the imagesensing component is located. The light passing through each lens Hpasses through the optical switch component S (e.g., 140, 240) at theshortest distance to reach the photosensitive plane P of the imagesensing component.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, in order to achieve differentcapturing (photo/video) effects, the diverse combination way of thelenses in the camera module can be as follows:

1) To Enhance the Capturing Quality

The performance parameters of the plurality of lenses H are the same. Inan image capturing operation, the plurality of optical switch componentsS are controlled to be turned on successively, so that the light of thelens H is imaged on the photosensitive plane P of the image sensingcomponent sequentially and successively.

In these embodiments, since the parameters of the lenses are the sameand the lenses are arranged closely (as described above), theperspective ranges of the respective lenses are highly overlapped, sothat the image fusion technology can be utilized to perform the fusionoperation on the overlapping regions of sequentially imaged pictures. Asa result, not only a high-quality picture can be obtained, but alsodepth-of-field data information can be acquired.

2) To Achieve Diversification of Functions

The plurality of lenses H adopt respectively different performanceparameters, for example, different focal lengths (such as macro andtelephoto), different apertures, and different viewing angles (such aswide-angle, ultra-wide-angle). The combination way can be, for example,a four-shot combination of an ultra-wide-angle lens, a telephoto lens, amain lens, and a blur lens; or a three-shot combination of a color lens,a black-and-white lens, and a telephoto lens; or a three-shotcombination of a wide-angle lens, a telephoto lens, and a color lens;and so on.

In these embodiments, there may not be provided between the lens and theimage sensing component, an optical element that guides light passingthrough the lens to reflect or refract, that is, the light from the lenscan be directly imaged onto the image sensing component, and the actualimaging regions of adjacent lenses are allowed to be overlapped witheach other.

In these embodiments, since the actual imaging regions, which are formedby the adjacent lenses imaged directly onto the image sensing component,overlap with each other (as described above), the photosensitive regionof the image sensing component can be reutilized by the camera module,so that each lens can be imaged onto the same high-quality image sensingcomponent, thereby controlling the costs in the case of diversifying thecapturing functions.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a camera module according to stillanother exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing thepositional relationship between the lens and the imaging plane along theline I-I′ in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the camera module 300 includesa plurality of lenses, an image sensing component 360 and a plurality ofoptical switch components 340. The plurality of lenses of the cameramodule 300 includes a main lens 320 and a plurality of sub lenses 320 a,320 b, 320 c, and 320 d. As shown in FIG. 6, the optical axis X of themain lens H (320) is perpendicular to the plane P (that is, thephotosensitive plane) where the image sensing component is located, andthe optical axes Xa, Xb of the plurality of sub lenses Ha, Hb (320 a,320 b) form an angle with the plane P where the image sensing component360 is located, respectively. The light from each lens passes throughthe optical switch component S and reaches the photosensitive plane P ofthe image sensing component.

In these embodiments, a plurality of sub lenses 320 a, 320 b, 320 c, and320 d are disposed around the main lens 320. The plurality of sub lenses320 a, 320 b, 320 c, and 320 d are arranged to be center symmetricalwith respect to the main lens 320. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5,the number of sub lenses is five and the number of main lenses is one,but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and it is possiblethat six sub lenses surround one main lens; alternatively, there can betwo main lenses, and 6 sub lenses surround the two main lenses.

In these embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the optical axes Xa, Xb ofeach of the sub lenses Ha, Hb (320 a, 320 b) are mirror-symmetrical withrespect to the optical axis X of the main lens H (320), but it is notlimited thereto.

In an image capturing operation by the user, the main lens 320 and therespective sub-lenses 320 a, 320 b, 320 c, and 320 d are called in turnto capture the plurality of images to be synthesized later with a superwide-angle effect. For example, the corresponding optical switchcomponents are sequentially turned on in a very short time, so that eachlens is imaged on a common image sensing component, and then theacquired images are synthesized, thereby achieving an ultra-wide-anglecapturing effect. Therefore, the range of the angle of view FOV of thecamera module of these embodiments is relatively large, and thewide-angle distortion at the edges can be better controlled. Inaddition, the same high-quality image sensing component (such as with alower signal-to-noise ratio) as the main lens is called under theultra-wide-angle imaging effect, which can effectively improve theimaging quality.

Optionally, in an image capturing operation by the user, the main lens320 and the respective sub-lenses 320 a, 320 b, 320 c, and 320 d can becalled separately to take photos or videos at corresponding angles. Forexample, among the five lenses of these embodiments, it is selected toturning on separately an optical switch component of a sub-lens with atilted optical axis, to enable the sub-lens to be imaged on a commonimage sensing component, thereby facilitating the user to achievephotos/videos with different angles without moving a mobile phone. Inparticular, in some capturing scenes where it is not convenient to placethe mobile phone at a specific angle, it is possible to capture thecontent that cannot be taken by existing ordinary mobile phones withoutmoving the mobile phone.

In an embodiment, the angle formed by the optical axis of the respectivesub-lenses 320 a, 320 b, 320 c, and 320 d and the plane P where theimage sensing component 360 is located can be adjusted. The sub-lenses320 a, 320 b, 320 c, and 320 d can be tilt-shift lens. Therefore, it iseasier for the user to adjust the viewing angle range of the cameramodule according to these embodiments.

In the camera module of these embodiments, by sequentially turning on orseparately turning on the optical switch component to call the sub-lenswith the tilted optical axis, it can share the same high-quality imagesensing component as the main lens, thereby the cost can be reducedunder the premise of the same image quality or the image quality can beimproved under premise of the same cost.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a positional relationship between alens and an imaging plane in a camera module according to yet anotherexemplary embodiment. The difference from the embodiments shown in FIG.5 and FIG. 6 lies in that, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of lenses arelinearly arranged, and the optical axes of the respective sub lenses H1,H2, and H3 are at different angles to the plane P where the imagesensing component is located.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the plurality of sub lenses H1, H2, and H3arranged linearly are located on the same side of the main lens H. Inaddition, the farther the sub-lens from the main lens H, the smaller theangle with the plane P where the image sensing component is located.

In an image capturing operation by the user, the main lens H and therespective sub-lenses H1, H2, and H3 are called in turn to form an imageon a common image sensing component, and then the acquired images aresynthesized, thereby achieving an ultra-wide-angle capturing effect.Therefore, the range of the angle of view FOV of the camera module ofthese embodiments is relatively large, and the wide-angle distortion atthe edges can be better controlled. Furthermore, the same high-qualityimage sensing component (such as with a lower signal-to-noise ratio) asthe main lens is called under the ultra-wide-angle imaging effect, whichcan effectively improve the imaging quality.

Optionally, in an image capturing operation by the user, the main lens Hand the respective sub lenses H1, H2, and H3 can be called separately soas to take photos or videos at corresponding angles. For example, amongthe four lenses in these embodiments, it is selected to turn onseparately the optical switch component of a sub-lens with the largesttilt of optical axis, so that the sub-lens is imaged on a common imagesensing component, thereby facilitating the user to achievephotos/videos with a special angle (such as top or bottom capturing)without moving a mobile phone. In particular, in some capturing sceneswhere it is not convenient to place the mobile phone at a specificangle, it is possible to capture the content that cannot be taken byexisting ordinary mobile phones without moving the mobile phone.

In these embodiments, each of the sub-lenses H1, H2, and H3 can be atilt-shift lens. Therefore, it is easier for the user to adjust theviewing angle range of the camera module according to these embodimentsas needed.

In the camera module of these embodiments, by sequentially turning on orseparately turning on the optical switch component to call the sub-lenswith the tilted optical axis, it can share the same high-quality imagesensing component as the main lens, thereby the cost can be reducedunder the premise of the same image quality or the image quality can beimproved under premise of the same cost.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a mobile terminal 800 according tosome embodiments. The mobile terminal 800 is, for example, a smartphone,a tablet, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 8, the mobile terminal 800 can include one or more ofthe following components: a processing component 802, a memory 804, apower component 806, a multimedia component 808, an audio component 810,an input/output (I/O) interface 812, a sensor component 814, and acommunication component 816.

The processing component 802 typically controls overall operations ofthe mobile terminal 800, such as the operations associated with display,telephone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recordingoperations. The processing component 802 can include one or moreprocessors 820 to execute instructions to perform all or part of thesteps in the above described methods. In particular, the processor 820controls a plurality of optical switch components of the camera moduleto switch between a turning on state and a turning off state, andadjacent optical switch components corresponding to adjacent lenseswhose actual imaging areas overlap each other are not turned on at thesame time. The processor 820 may control one of the optical switchcomponents to be turned on to perform required capturing according tothe input selection signal; or the processor 820 may control tosequentially turn on the optical switch components to take pictures, andretrieve the sequentially captured images for synthesis.

Moreover, the processing component 802 can include one or more moduleswhich facilitate the interaction between the processing component 802and other components. For instance, the processing component 802 caninclude a multimedia module to facilitate the interaction between themultimedia component 808 and the processing component 802.

The memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to supportthe operation of the mobile terminal 800. Examples of such data includeinstructions for any applications or methods operated on the mobileterminal 800, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, video,etc. The memory 804 can be implemented using any type of volatile ornon-volatile memory devices, or a combination thereof, such as a staticrandom access memory (SRAM), an electrically erasable programmableread-only memory (EEPROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory(EPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a read-only memory(ROM), a magnetic memory, a flash memory, a magnetic or optical disk.

The power component 806 provides power to various components of themobile terminal 800. The power component 806 can include a powermanagement system, one or more power sources, and any other componentsassociated with the generation, management, and distribution of power inthe mobile terminal 800.

The multimedia component 808 includes a screen providing an outputinterface between the mobile terminal 800 and the user. In someembodiments, the screen can include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and atouch panel (TP). In some embodiments, organic light-emitting diode(OLED) or other types of displays can be employed.

If the screen includes the touch panel, the screen can be implemented asa touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panelincludes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, andgestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors not only can sense aboundary of a touch or swipe action, but also can sense a period of timeand a pressure associated with the touch or swipe action. In someembodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes a front camera and/ora rear camera. The front camera and the rear camera can receive anexternal multimedia datum while the mobile terminal 800 is in anoperation mode, such as a photographing mode or a video mode. Each ofthe front camera and the rear camera can be a fixed optical lens systemor have focus and optical zoom capability.

The audio component 810 is configured to output and/or input audiosignals. For example, the audio component 810 includes a microphone(“MIC”) configured to receive an external audio signal when the mobileterminal 800 is in an operation mode, such as a call mode, a recordingmode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal can befurther stored in the memory 804 or transmitted via the communicationcomponent 816. In some embodiments, the audio component 810 furtherincludes a speaker to output audio signals.

The I/O interface 812 provides an interface between the processingcomponent 802 and peripheral interface modules, such as a keyboard, aclick wheel, buttons, and the like. The buttons can include, but are notlimited to, a home button, a volume button, a starting button, and alocking button.

The sensor component 814 includes one or more sensors to provide statusassessments of various aspects of the mobile terminal 800. For instance,the sensor component 814 can detect an open/closed status of the mobileterminal 800, relative positioning of components such as the display andthe keypad, of the mobile terminal 800, a change in position of themobile terminal 800 or a component of the mobile terminal 800, apresence or absence of user contact with the mobile terminal 800, anorientation or an acceleration/deceleration of the mobile terminal 800,and a change in temperature of the mobile terminal 800. The sensorcomponent 814 can include a proximity sensor configured to detect thepresence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensorcomponent 814 can also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCDimage sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, thesensor component 814 can also include an accelerometer sensor, agyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperaturesensor.

The communication component 816 is configured to facilitate wired orwireless communication between the mobile terminal 800 and otherdevices. The mobile terminal 800 can access a wireless network based ona communication standard, such as Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, or acombination thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the communicationcomponent 816 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast associatedinformation from an external broadcast management system via a broadcastchannel. In one exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816further includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitateshort-range communications. For example, the NFC module can beimplemented based on a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology,an infrared data association (IrDA) technology, an ultra-wideband (UWB)technology, a Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

In exemplary embodiments, the mobile terminal 800 can be implementedwith one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices(DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gatearrays (FPGAs), controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, orother electronic components, for performing the above described methods.

In exemplary embodiments, there is also provided a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium including instructions, such asincluded in the memory 804, executable by the processor 820 in themobile terminal 800, for performing the above-described methods. Forexample, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be aROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disc, an optical datastorage device, and the like.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure can have one or more ofthe following advantages.

The area of the photosensitive region of the image sensing component canbe greater than the area of actual imaging region of a single lens andless than the sum of the areas of actual imaging regions of respectivelenses, that is, the actual imaging regions of part of the lenses canoverlap each other, thereby enabling the arrangement of the lens morecompact, occupying less internal space, and allowing a higher degree offreedom in designing the back of mobile terminals using the cameramodule.

The area of the photosensitive region of the image sensing componentshared by the plurality of lenses can be less than the sum of the areasof the actual imaging regions required by each of the lenses, therebyreducing the total photosensitive region of the image sensing component,which not only saves space occupied but also reduces costs.

In addition, each lens can be equipped with a larger sensing area in thecommon image sensing component as much as possible, or a higher-qualityimage sensing component can be selected for the common image sensingcomponent, thereby improving imaging quality.

In an image capturing operation, each lens can be called separately tocapture photos or videos at corresponding angles. The optical switchcomponent of a sub-lens with a tilted optical axis can be turned onseparately, so that the sub-lens can be imaged on a common image sensingcomponent, and thus the user can achieve photos/videos with a specialangle (such as a top or bottom capturing) without moving the mobilephone. In particular, in some capturing scenes where it is notconvenient to place the mobile phone at a specific angle, it is possibleto capture content that cannot be taken by existing ordinary mobilephones without moving the mobile phone.

In an image capturing operation, the main lens and each sub-lens arecalled in turn, imaging on a common image sensing component, and thensynthesizing the acquired images to obtain an ultra-wide-angle capturingeffect. Therefore, the range of the angle of view FOV of the cameramodule of these embodiments is made relatively large, and the wide-angledistortion at the edges can be better controlled.

By sequentially turning on or separately turning on the optical switchcomponent to call the sub-lens with tilted optical axis, it can beshared with the high-quality image sensing component like the main lens,so as to achieving the reduction of the cost under the premise of thesame image quality or the improvement of the image quality under thepremise of the same cost.

The various device components, modules, units, blocks, or portions mayhave modular configurations, or are composed of discrete components, butnonetheless can be referred to as “modules” in general. In other words,the “components,” “modules,” “blocks,” “portions,” or “units” referredto herein may or may not be in modular forms, and these phrases may beinterchangeably used to refer to portions of hardware, software, or acombination thereof.

In the description of the present disclosure, the terms “oneembodiment,” “some embodiments,” “example,” “specific example,” or “someexamples,” and the like can indicate a specific feature described inconnection with the embodiment or example, a structure, a material orfeature included in at least one embodiment or example. In the presentdisclosure, the schematic representation of the above terms is notnecessarily directed to the same embodiment or example.

Moreover, the particular features, structures, materials, orcharacteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in anyone or more embodiments or examples. In addition, various embodiments orexamples described in the specification, as well as features of variousembodiments or examples, can be combined and reorganized.

In some embodiments, the control and/or interface software or app can beprovided in a form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumhaving instructions stored thereon is further provided. For example, thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a CD-ROM,a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, optical data storage equipment, a flashdrive such as a USB drive or an SD card, and the like.

Implementations of the subject matter and the operations described inthis disclosure can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, orin computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structuresdisclosed herein and their structural equivalents, or in combinations ofone or more of them. Implementations of the subject matter described inthis disclosure can be implemented as one or more computer programs,i.e., one or more portions of computer program instructions, encoded onone or more computer storage medium for execution by, or to control theoperation of, data processing apparatus.

Alternatively, or in addition, the program instructions can be encodedon an artificially-generated propagated signal, e.g., amachine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, whichis generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiverapparatus for execution by a data processing apparatus. A computerstorage medium can be, or be included in, a computer-readable storagedevice, a computer-readable storage substrate, a random or serial accessmemory array or device, or a combination of one or more of them.

Moreover, while a computer storage medium is not a propagated signal, acomputer storage medium can be a source or destination of computerprogram instructions encoded in an artificially-generated propagatedsignal. The computer storage medium can also be, or be included in, oneor more separate components or media (e.g., multiple CDs, disks, drives,or other storage devices). Accordingly, the computer storage medium canbe tangible.

The operations described in this disclosure can be implemented asoperations performed by a data processing apparatus on data stored onone or more computer-readable storage devices or received from othersources.

The devices in this disclosure can include special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit). The device can also include,in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment forthe computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processorfirmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operatingsystem, a cross-platform runtime environment, a virtual machine, or acombination of one or more of them. The devices and executionenvironment can realize various different computing modelinfrastructures, such as web services, distributed computing, and gridcomputing infrastructures.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, softwareapplication, app, script, or code) can be written in any form ofprogramming language, including compiled or interpreted languages,declarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form,including as a stand-alone program or as a portion, component,subroutine, object, or other portion suitable for use in a computingenvironment. A computer program can, but need not, correspond to a filein a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file thatholds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in amarkup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program inquestion, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store oneor more portions, sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer programcan be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computersthat are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites andinterconnected by a communication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this disclosure can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform actions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA, or an ASIC.

Processors or processing circuits suitable for the execution of acomputer program include, by way of example, both general and specialpurpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind ofdigital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions anddata from a read-only memory, or a random-access memory, or both.Elements of a computer can include a processor configured to performactions in accordance with instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data.

Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled toreceive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storagedevices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, oroptical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Moreover,a computer can be embedded in another device, e.g., a mobile telephone,a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, agame console, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, or a portablestorage device (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive), to namejust a few.

Devices suitable for storing computer program instructions and datainclude all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices,including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM,EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal harddisks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROMdisks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, orincorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, implementations of the subjectmatter described in this specification can be implemented with acomputer and/or a display device, e.g., a VR/AR device, a head-mountdisplay (HMD) device, a head-up display (HUD) device, smart eyewear(e.g., glasses), a CRT (cathode-ray tube), LCD (liquid-crystal display),OLED (organic light emitting diode), or any other monitor for displayinginformation to the user and a keyboard, a pointing device, e.g., amouse, trackball, etc., or a touch screen, touch pad, etc., by which theuser can provide input to the computer.

Implementations of the subject matter described in this specificationcan be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-endcomponent, e.g., as a data server, or that includes a middlewarecomponent, e.g., an application server, or that includes a front-endcomponent, e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface ora Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementationof the subject matter described in this specification, or anycombination of one or more such back-end, middleware, or front-endcomponents.

The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or mediumof digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examplesof communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”) and awide area network (“WAN”), an inter-network (e.g., the Internet), andpeer-to-peer networks (e.g., ad hoc peer-to-peer networks).

While this specification contains many specific implementation details,these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any claims,but rather as descriptions of features specific to particularimplementations. Certain features that are described in thisspecification in the context of separate implementations can also beimplemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely,various features that are described in the context of a singleimplementation can also be implemented in multiple implementationsseparately or in any suitable subcombination.

Moreover, although features can be described above as acting in certaincombinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more featuresfrom a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from thecombination, and the claimed combination can be directed to asubcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processingcan be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various systemcomponents in the implementations described above should not beunderstood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and itshould be understood that the described program components and systemscan generally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

As such, particular implementations of the subject matter have beendescribed. Other implementations are within the scope of the followingclaims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can beperformed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. Inaddition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do notnecessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, toachieve desirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking orparallel processing can be utilized.

It is intended that the specification and embodiments be considered asexamples only. Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent tothose skilled in the art in view of the specification and drawings ofthe present disclosure. That is, although specific embodiments have beendescribed above in detail, the description is merely for purposes ofillustration. It should be appreciated, therefore, that many aspectsdescribed above are not intended as required or essential elementsunless explicitly stated otherwise.

Various modifications of, and equivalent acts corresponding to, thedisclosed aspects of the example embodiments, in addition to thosedescribed above, can be made by a person of ordinary skill in the art,having the benefit of the present disclosure, without departing from thespirit and scope of the disclosure defined in the following claims, thescope of which is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass such modifications and equivalent structures.

It should be understood that “a plurality” or “multiple” as referred toherein means two or more. “And/or,” describing the associationrelationship of the associated objects, indicates that there may bethree relationships, for example, A and/or B may indicate that there arethree cases where A exists separately, A and B exist at the same time,and B exists separately. The character “/” generally indicates that thecontextual objects are in an “or” relationship.

In the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the terms“lower,” “upper,” “under” or “beneath” or “underneath,” “above,”“front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,”“horizontal,” “vertical,” and other orientation or positionalrelationships are based on example orientations illustrated in thedrawings, and are merely for the convenience of the description of someembodiments, rather than indicating or implying the device or componentbeing constructed and operated in a particular orientation. Therefore,these terms are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the presentdisclosure.

Moreover, the terms “first” and “second” are used for descriptivepurposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying arelative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technicalfeatures indicated. Thus, elements referred to as “first” and “second”may include one or more of the features either explicitly or implicitly.In the description of the present disclosure, “a plurality” indicatestwo or more unless specifically defined otherwise.

In the present disclosure, a first element being “on” a second elementmay indicate direct contact between the first and second elements,without contact, or indirect geometrical relationship through one ormore intermediate media or layers, unless otherwise explicitly statedand defined. Similarly, a first element being “under,” “underneath” or“beneath” a second element may indicate direct contact between the firstand second elements, without contact, or indirect geometricalrelationship through one or more intermediate media or layers, unlessotherwise explicitly stated and defined.

Some other embodiments of the present disclosure can be available tothose skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification andpractice of the various embodiments disclosed herein. The presentapplication is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations ofthe present disclosure following general principles of the presentdisclosure and include the common general knowledge or conventionaltechnical means in the art without departing from the presentdisclosure. The specification and examples can be shown as illustrativeonly, and the true scope and spirit of the disclosure are indicated bythe following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A camera module, comprising: a plurality oflenses; an image sensing component, disposed at an imaging side of theplurality of lenses, an area of a photosensitive region of the imagesensing component being greater than an area of an actual imaging regionof a single lens but less than a sum of areas of actual imaging regionsof the plurality of lenses; and a plurality of optical switch componentsdisposed between the plurality of lenses and the image sensing componentcorresponding to the plurality of lenses, wherein: the optical switchcomponent is controlled to switch between an on state and an off state;and neighboring optical switch components corresponding to neighboringlenses having overlapping actual imaging regions are not turned on at asame time.
 2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein theplurality of lenses are arranged linearly.
 3. The camera moduleaccording to claim 1, wherein the plurality of lenses are arranged in amatrix.
 4. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein theneighboring lenses are directly imaged onto the image sensing component,and the actual imaging regions of the neighboring lenses are overlappedwith each other.
 5. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein inan image capturing operation, the plurality of optical switch componentsare controlled to be turned on sequentially and successively so as to beimaged sequentially and successively on the image sensing component. 6.The camera module according to claim 1, wherein in an image capturingoperation, optical switch components corresponding to lenses withnon-overlapping actual imaging regions are controlled to be turned on soas to be imaged simultaneously on the image sensing component.
 7. Thecamera module according to claim 1, wherein the image sensing componentis one of a charge-coupled device (CCD) and a complementarymetal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.
 8. The camera moduleaccording to claim 1, wherein the optical switch component is amicro-electromechanical system (MEMS) shutter.
 9. A mobile terminal,comprising: the camera module according to claim 1; and a processorconfigured to: control the plurality of optical switch components toswitch between the on state and the off state; and control theneighboring optical switch components corresponding to neighboringlenses having overlapping actual imaging regions not to be turned onsimultaneously.
 10. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, wherein atleast one of a front camera and a rear camera of the mobile terminalcomprises the camera module.
 11. The mobile terminal according to claim9, wherein the plurality of lenses are arranged linearly.
 12. The mobileterminal according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of lenses arearranged in a matrix.
 13. The mobile terminal according to claim 9,wherein the neighboring lenses are directly imaged onto the imagesensing component, and the actual imaging regions of the neighboringlenses are overlapped with each other.
 14. The mobile terminal accordingto claim 9, wherein in an image capturing operation, the plurality ofoptical switch components are controlled to be turned on sequentiallyand successively so as to be imaged sequentially and successively on theimage sensing component.
 15. The mobile terminal according to claim 9,wherein in an image capturing operation, the optical switch componentcorresponding to the lens with no overlap in the actual imaging regionis controlled to be turned on so as to be imaged simultaneously on theimage sensing component.
 16. The mobile terminal according to claim 9,wherein the image sensing component is one of a charge-coupled device(CCD) and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.17. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, wherein the optical switchcomponent is a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) shutter.
 18. Themobile terminal according to claim 9, wherein an area of aphotosensitive region of the image sensing component is greater than anarea of actual imaging region of a single lens but less than a sum ofthe areas of actual imaging regions of the plurality of lenses.
 19. Themobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the actual imagingregions of the plurality of lenses have overlapping regions, therebyenabling compact lens arrangement to reduce internal space of the mobileterminal occupied by the plurality of lenses.
 20. The mobile terminalaccording to claim 19, wherein: the area of the photosensitive region ofthe image sensing component shared by the plurality of lenses is lessthan the sum of the areas of the actual imaging regions of the pluralityof lenses, thereby reducing a total photosensitive region of the imagesensing component, to thereby save the internal space of the mobileterminal and reduce cost; the plurality of lenses include a main lensand a plurality sub-lenses; in an image capturing operation, thecontroller is configured to: call each of the plurality of lensesseparately to capture images at corresponding angles; turn on an opticalswitch component of a sub-lens with a tilted optical axis separately,such that the sub-lens is imaged on the image sensing component, tothereby realize images/videos with a select angle, including a top orbottom perspective capturing, without moving the mobile terminal; callthe main lens and each of the plurality of sub-lenses in sequence tocapture images on the image sensing component, and then synthesize thecaptured images to obtain an ultra-wide-angle image; and sequentiallyturn on or separately turn on optical switch components to callsub-lenses with tilted optical axes to thereby share a high-qualityimage sensing component with the main lens.